What is a Brother For?
by Dark Austral
Summary: A "Miller's Crossing" one-shot seen through the eyes of the Wraith who both took and gave Sheppard's life and the line Sheppard crossed to keep him alive.


Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters: John and Todd-the Good Wraith (Yay, he has a name!). They belong to those brilliant writers over in Sci-Fi, who make watching TV fun.

A/N: After some internal debating, I thought I would post this little one-shot from Stargate Atlantis "Miller's Crossing" episode. So if you haven't watched the episode there will be spoilers. This is also my first Stargate story, so I hope that I did ok in writing from the Wraith's perspective on Sheppard's decision.

**What is a brother for?**

Gut-wrenching pain pulled at his entire being. His right hand twitched, the feeding cut burning with desire. There were three humans in this small room with him. If he had enough strength to raise his form from the floor, he might be able take one with him. But then the others would shoot back and he would die. Death was not an option.

So, the wraith found himself slumped up against the wall, reflecting on the event that brought him here to starve on a strange planet. Dr. McKay was a persuasive man, when he wanted to be. The wraith knew what it felt to have loved ones ripped from your hands, and knowing deep down that you could have saved them. He didn't need to be lectured at from the scientist. He had known the moment he had stepped through the Stargate that something was amiss. Not to mention, when he arrived at the strange new world that the look on Sheppard's face conveyed the drastic measures needed to be taken. It was that look that he had decided to help the human he dared to call brother, even if the man did not acknowledge it. The wraith merely let McKay rant for the scientist's own sake.

Grunting in pain, the wraith pushed himself further against the wall, his legs stretched out before him. Golden eyes fell to stare at the door. He waited quietly, wishing to see how Sheppard would deal with the situation. He was not new to the burning desert of hunger. Time with Koyla had made him strong in that sense. But this was not the old cell. No. He was free, or to an extent. Not to mention, he was with the one whom he had give the Gift of Life too, the one he thought he could trust.

Lt. Col. John Sheppard, was a confusing human. He was surprised that the strong-minded human would not trust him, yet was willing to let the enemy walk right into the heart of his home. Looking back now, the wraith couldn't help but chuckle at his hindsight. Sheppard was much like Wraith, wary of new friends and enemies. But, the human was wise enough to know when one must trust an enemy to fight a common goal.

The wraith remembered the hurt look on Sheppard's face when he had said that the Atlantians would betray him at a moment's notice. The mere fact that Sheppard had denied it made him smirk. He could see through Sheppard's mask and he knew that the human had sensed it. The Gift of Life had made it so.

Maybe that was why Sheppard was a bit more wary and quiet when around him. The wraith sighed, tilting his head back onto the wall. Sheppard was new to the bond and relieving the man's memories, he knew that it would take a long while before Sheppard trusted him completely.

The three guards nodded and began to leave the room. The wraith frowned and gazed up to where the cameras where. Strange, the red light was off. As the men left, Sheppard walked into the room, his face devoid of any emotion.

The two locked eyes briefly, gold to dark blue. In the small but infinite time, the wraith knew what was happening. The blink from Sheppard signaled that he was correct. Sliding up the wall, the wraith stood wearily on his feet. The white head tilted to the side when he smelled another human.

The small, desolate man was fidgeting behind Sheppard, hands tugging at his shirt. The red-rimmed eyes were wild with fear. "I-I"

Sheppard took a step to the side and pulled the man in, locking the door. Shifting, he gently pushed the man towards the wraith. "This is the specialist, Wallace."

Wallace gulped and took shaky baby steps towards the hungry wraith. "I…I want…" Turning around, the man gasped, tears rimming his eyes, "I can't do this Colonel. I'm sorry, but I just can't. I don't want to die, not like this!"

The small twitch of lips revealed Sheppard's irritation. "What about Jeannie's husband and daughter?"

Those ice-cold words sent the fear banishing away from Wallace. The shaking stopped as the brown hair man's head dropped forward. Taking in a deep breath, Sheppard put his hands on the man's shoulder and turned him back around again. "I'm presenting…a situation…You know what to do."

Dull eyes gazed forward, the mind lost to John's cold but gently persuasion. As if in a daze, Wallace walked up to the wraith and offered his chest. The wraith didn't need to be told twice. Reaching out, his feeding hand exploded with joy as it made contact with human flesh. The man's strained but vibrant life force flooded into the Wraith's senses. The wraith wanted to moan and hiss in pleasure but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he focused his golden eyes on the man who provided his meal.

Sheppard watched impassively as Wallace aged, no sounds of resistance emanating from the dying human. But to the man across the room, the wraith felt the emotional turmoil running rampant underneath. The wraith narrowed his eyes into slits, as images of Sheppard laying out pictures of a small human child and male flashed in his mind. A soft release of air from Wallace signaled the man's passing into another world. The wraith stepped back and let go of the dried mummy.

The remains of Wallace fell to the floor in an echoing thump. The two remaining occupants in the room stared at the body. Sheppard broke the silence, his cold voice betraying nothing of the disgust, anger and fear that ate at the core of his being. "Hope that was enough." Clicking the radio, he swallowed, no able to tear his gaze from the dead man, "Set everything back up like it was and get a medical team down here."

Shutting off communications, Sheppard sighed. The wraith traveled his gaze up to the soldier. "You-"

"I presented a situation. He volunteered," snapped Sheppard, those blue eyes blazing in anger at him. The wraith could feel that Sheppard was trying to place the blame on him, but instead it backfired. The man became a small child in the wraith's eyes. A lost boy who tried to put the blame on someone else but knew deep down it was his own fault for crossing the line.

The three soldiers came back in and the red light blinked back on. A few seconds later, a medical team rolled in and knew immediately that it was too late. Sheppard shook his head slightly and walked to the side get out of the way of the medics. No one spoke of the dark deed that had taken place a mere moments ago. As the wraith watched the humans pick up the body of the one named Wallace to place him on a rolling table, he knew that Sheppard had bought him precious time. Walking up the consol he began to work, not wishing to let the dead man's sacrifice be a waste. But soon the graveyard silence was interrupted by a familiar voice yelling outside, trying to plead his way into the death chamber.

When the body bag was zipped up, Sheppard clicked on his radio and nodded to one of soldiers, who in turn opened the door.

-**Atlantis**-

The Wraith laid on the cot, running the past few days' events in his head. Despite living in the cell or being handcuffed wherever he went, he couldn't help but think that it was a far better position than the last time he was captured. And at least, the people of Atlantis were willing to listen and negotiate with him.

Closing his eyes, the Wraith exhaled deeply and folded his arms behind his head. In truth, he no longer needed to be here. The work on the nanabites to combat the Replicators was almost finished. He could do the rest of the work in seclusion; aboard some hive ship instead of here under lock and key. Yet, he could not will himself to escape. The actions of Sheppard had made the wraith feel that he was bound to repay the man. Sure he had helped them work on the nanabits and save McKay's sister's life. But those were repaid in helping him make advancements in the weapon to defeat the Replicators. And these actions did not include lines Sheppard crossed. The manipulation and convincing a man to sacrifice himself was a dark trait he did not think the human possessed.

And it was that trait, that crossing the line, that sacrifice of a soul was something the wraith knew he would never be able to fully repay back. Opening his eyes, the wraith took in the warm glow of the ceiling, "It is late Sheppard."

Tilting his head to the side, golden eyes took in the back of the colonel. Sheppard sat before him, his back pressed against the bars. It reminded him of their time spent in the cells with the Genii.

"I'll have to do it again, won't I?"

The soft question betrayed the man's anguish. Sliding up, the wraith eyed the human he considered to be his brother. "Sheppard."

With ferocity that astonished the wraith, the black-haired man leapt onto his feet, spun around and grabbed at the bars. His eyes were etched in utter pain, guilt trying to push unshed tears past the wall of a stubborn will. "You'll get hungry again. And I'll have to find some poor, wretched soul and convince him to kill himself. Well, I can't do it, you hear me. I can't murder someone like that again!"

A chocked sob escaped past the man's defenses. Resting his forehead of the bars, Sheppard was for once grateful that he had sent the late-night guard off on a break. He needed to be alone for this. He needed to lash out at someone and the only one perfect for the job was the wraith. His "buddy", whose golden eyes blinked with understanding that seemed too human for a wraith.

The wraith stood up and walked with an ancient grace to the shuddering man before him. A long time ago, Sheppard would have never let himself be this vulnerable to an enemy. He would have backed away, caution guiding his instincts. But that was another life. This new, darker Sheppard let the wraith see his guilt and almost welcomed the closeness of the wraith. Squeezing his eyes shut, Sheppard could almost see his evil doppelganger grinning at him from the shadows.

"All will work itself out, Sheppard. I can survive off of living animals for awhile." The supposed comforting words did little to ease the man's guilt. Instead he watched as Sheppard groaned, the revelation that he could have spared Wallace's life increased the guilt ten-fold.

The wraith mentally slapped himself, "You did the right thing. I needed more than animals at the lab to finish the procedure. I needed a human."

Blue eyes stared up at him from underneath the black curtain, "Right thing, huh? Then why do I feel guilty? Why do I have nightmares and see his dried up corpse every time I blink."

"Because that is who you are, John Sheppard. You are hero to these people. You are someone willing to make the necessary sacrifices to protect those you care and love. If you did not feel this guilt, then I would find myself questioning if you were worthy for the Gift of Life."

That statement caught Sheppard's attention. The wraith smirked softly as he saw the familiar defiant mask fall upon the human's face. "Oh."

The wraith nodded, "You are a rare human. Not many of your…stature exist in this universe. That is why my people and that of the Genii and Replicators hate you so."

"And why not you?"

"I do not know," answered the wraith truthfully, "Maybe it is because you remind me of a time long forgotten." Stepping back, the wraith gazed out of his cell longingly.

Sheppard eyed his companion, confusion present on his features. "I…I know you did something to me. I felt it the moment we saw each other."

"Yes, the Gift of Life holds some effects."

"Effects? Oh great, just what I need another incident like the whole bug nightmare," snarled the human.

The wraith chuckled, "No, Sheppard it is not like your conversion. I merely was able to see into your memories as I took your life. And when I returned it, I let you be able to sense things from me as well. But, you must accept your new position in order to use it fully."

Sheppard frowned at this new tidbit of knowledge. "_The Gift of Life is reserved only for our most devote worshippers and our brothers_." The Wraith's past words echoed inside of John's head. Swallowing, he gazed up at the wraith who had both stolen and returned his life. "So…you truly accept me…as a brother, even though we said all bets were off next time?"

"Yes," the wraith turned and regarded the man fully. He knew what Sheppard wanted to hear, to know that the consquences of his actions were for good. "And I am honored and forever bound to repay you for your actions with Wallace."

Sheppard closed his eyes and let the needed words sink into his mind. The two stood in silence, each trying to grapple the new development in their strange relationship. The human opened his eyes and sent a small smirk at the wraith. A sense of peace and control shone in those blue orbs. "Thanks."

The wraith nodded and moved back to his cot. As he lay down, he heard Sheppard's sarcastic tone ring in the cell. "Next time, let me know when you're hungry. The last thing I need is an anorexic wraith on my hands."

The wraith laughed heartily as he propped his arms behind his hand, "I will do as such, Sheppard."

"Yeah, yeah. And don't laugh, it's creepy."

The soft footsteps marked the colonel's departure and later the return on the night-guard. In the back of his mind, the wraith felt Sheppard's relief seep through. Guilt would still haunt the man's mind, but it had lessen somewhat after their little talk. Closing his eyes, the wraith settled into a slumber, thinking that he had made the right choice in staying. And that maybe when the war with the replicators and wraith was over that there was hope for his human brother to reach a state of peace, even if for a little while.

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A/N: Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this. Please review if you have the time. Take care!


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